The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-05
ppoTECTION PALLAClHS.
county.


,op.,her with the replies thereto by Barden
A lanes, are attracting meritsd attention
in this and other portions Of the state
Mr.. Boltwood is we'll and favora''iy
known throughout Illinois asa ripe scholar
a vigorous, concise and elegant writer he
f. man of strong convictions, and the ar'i'
Giles written by him are based upon those
convictions, the result Of thorough ana
careful Investigation OF the subject under
discussion His productions ave clear and
Ilntelligible, They compare favoraoiy win
those of many writer's who set themselves
up as standard economists.
A for Mr.. James, while radically diller.
| ing with him In his view OF the tarlli
question we must cOncede him TO be
ready and clever writer. His style is at
tractlve. hls matter well arranged and
torcibly put-his diction elegant aud his
enthusiasm over the system which he al
vOcates Is 80 great that the cause Is mol
likely % "wither and decline In Ms
hands. II Is certainly 4 source OF congrat.
ulation TO the readers of the FREE TRADER
that they have an opportunity, one seldom
presented to the readers of any paper, OF
reading so admirable discussion OF the
pro and con of this all important question
The publication OF the articles OF MIR
Boltwood has called forth, We judge, ser.
les In the Republican from the pen OF Mr
Cairo ID. Trim bic, Of this city, In advocacy
oe the views of the protectionist. Dit
Trlmble Is a gentleman OF standing In the
community, and one for whom We enter
terrain feelings of most profound respect
He ls an ardent republican, believing thor
oughly In the teachings Of that party and
advocating Its doctrines. lie was probably
a whig prior 70 the origin of republicanism
and then, as now, believed In protection as
a party principle. For Mr.. Trimble, as q
gentleman, We have the utmost regard, but
we deem him In error In his political bial
and as the Republican has as yet published
nothing COntaverting the economic errors
Of its correspondent, we desire to do so
and not the errors OF hr. Trimble alone
but as we'll those Of his fellow proteCtionis'
and the FREE traders contributor, Mr.
james.
Mr. Trimble has the field in the PapaJ
licda all 10 himself, and In consequence
sets up whole battallions of straw men
charges into their midst, lays about righ
and left, and either destroys or scatters then
hither and far. Since the days SanchC
Panzs attacked the hay stacks, there has
not been seen such slaughter as the average
pr0tectiouist causes among the free trade
straw men Of his own creation. lie de
lights in the pastime of raising free trade
obstacles only TO knock them down again
Like the ancient gospeller,' who
Could raise scruples dark and nice,
And after solve 'em in triCe
AS If Divinity had catched
TIE Itch or purpose 20 be scratched.
He quenches the free traders by the
charge OF their universal " stupidity" lie
compells them 10 assert something and
then snuffs them out with the remark tina,
they have reached the climax of their stu
pidity. lie ridlcules the opponents Of pro
lection IA mere financial harlequins, polit
ical quacks vending nostrums fit only for 8
witch's broth of the medieval ages
whereas the whole head and front OF
their offending is their claim of right Il
buy where they can buy the cheapest and
sell where they can sell for the most. In
short, for asserting what Is simply theil
natural and God given right, a right tha
neither society nor the government has t
right 20 compel them to unnecessarily for
felt Well may the free trader, In reply I.
all to this assumption on the part of hi.
protectionist opponent, say IL Is YOU
who are the vendor of nostrums, for YOU
reverse natural order and natural laws fo
the government of men, and propose In
stead an artificial scheme which you claim
Is of superior merit. You are the assump
Zionist, and your claim Is rank assumption
NOT mine--nOt mine"
Horace Greedy, a life long and consisten
protectionist, declared years since that If
protective tariff did not cheaper produc,
Il was a curse and crime Mr. 1'rimble
Mr.. James, and indeed all motec,ionis,s
aver that II has materially Cheapened pro
duct and that the price of many things Ar
lower now than thirty years ago, they ave
is proof Of II. Mr. Trimble asks the house
holder to look about him and cempar
prices now with those of the period iron
| 1850 10 1860 under low tariff; and the
eXclalms how all this "he sees with his ow
eyes can be true If the assertion of the fire.
trade dreamers De not utterly false" Il
the same vein Mr. James declares that prC
lection "has cheapened consumption a
every kind. Steel rails which few year
ago sold for one hundred and sixty dollar
per ton now sell for less than forty do
lars" and so on; and that "a AT the eXpens
of temporary increase in prices, perms
nent cheapness and industrial independents
| .aNnxal